Жах Данвіча
Chapter 9
Letsomebodyleadtheway—Idon’tknowyourroadsverywell,butI’veanideatheremightbeashortercutacrosslots. Howaboutit?’
Themenshuffledaboutamoment,andthenEarlSawyerspokesoftly,pointingwithagrimyfingerthroughthesteadilylesseningrain.
‘IguessyekingittoSethBishop’squickestbycuttin’acrossthelowermedderhere,wadin’thebrookatthelowplace,an’climbin’throughCarrier’smowin’an’thetimber-lotbeyont. ThatcomesaoutontheupperrudmightynighSeth’s—aleetlet’otherside.’
Armitage,withRiceandMorgan,startedtowalkinthedirectionindicated; andmostofthenativesfollowedslowly. Theskywasgrowinglighter,andthereweresignsthatthestormhadwornitselfaway. WhenArmitageinadvertentlytookawrongdirection,JoeOsbornwarnedhimandwalkedaheadtoshowtherightone. Courageandconfidenceweremounting,thoughthetwilightofthealmostperpendicularwoodedhillwhichlaytowardstheendoftheirshortcut,andamongwhosefantasticancienttreestheyhadtoscrambleasifupaladder,putthesequalitiestoaseveretest.
Atlengththeyemergedonamuddyroadtofindthesuncomingout. TheywerealittlebeyondtheSethBishopplace,butbenttreesandhideouslyunmistakabletracksshowedwhathadpassedby.Onlyafewmomentswereconsumedinsurveyingtheruinsjustroundthebend. ItwastheFryeincidentalloveragain,andnothingdeadorlivingwasfoundineitherofthecollapsedshellswhichhadbeentheBishophouseandbarn.
